Archive for June 2012

Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God’s Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. (The Message)

We’ve looked at some false beliefs regarding our trust in God and how to eliminate those things from our lives. Today we will look at how to live out God’s promises.

Example:2 Cor 8:9. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. (NKJV)

When we put this promise back into context, it’s clear that 2 Cor Ch 9 is speaking about money, riches and wealth, and that at the cross, Jesus exchanged His riches for our poverty.

Point No 1:Because we are in Christ, we can claim this promise that Jesus will supply all our needs and wants (Ps 23:1, Phil 4:19).

We must first tell God specifically what we want and receive it. “Father I need a new car, a 7 seater and a diesel engine. According to your promise to provide for me, I receive that car by faith and trust it to You to decide when and how to provide it.”

Once we’ve asked God and received our new car by faith, our role is to leave it with Him (Phil 4:6). Subsequently, whenever we pray about it, we don’t keep asking for God to supply it. That is unbelief. NO! We turn our prayer time into a time of praise. “Thank you God that you have supplied me with a new car. Praise You Jehovah Jireh my provider” etc.

Point No 2: We must now wait with faith and patience until such time as God provides the car(Heb 6:12-15).

To wait with faith and patience is to wait in ‘REST’. We must be at rest in Christ for God to work on our behalf. If we take back our prayer and in our minds start worrying, fearing and getting all angst!, we’ve come out of rest and prevent God from working. As we labour (work hard) to enter His rest, we will see a demonstration of His provision. And it is rest that develops the fruit of God’s patience in us.

Point 3:During the waiting time, we must hold to a confession of faith whenever we speak about the car of our prayers. In Mt 6:31 Jesus says,“Therefore do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? (NKJV)

The key word there is ‘saying’. Don’t say or confess the negative – “When will God provide my car, where will it come from, if it doesn’t come soon, I’m going to the bank to get a loan.”

As soon as we confess the negative, we destroy any faith we’ve built up through a positive confession. Therefore we hinder God from working in our lives.

Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised.)

We must hold fast to the confession of our faith. That is we must confess the validity of God’s promises.If we capitulate under pressure and confess the negative, we again short circuit God’s answer to our prayers. But if we steadfastly hold to the confession of His promise, we will see a demonstration of God’s provision.

Meditation Point: Father, help me to stand strong in You, confessing Your promises until they are fulfilled. Lead me into a greater dynamic of Your faith.

Rom 4:20 He (Abraham) staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. (KJV)

We have been looking at some ‘false beliefs’ that destroy our trust in God and prevent us from receiving God’s promises. The last one we’ll look at is that of LOVE. If we don’t believe God loves us, it makes it difficult to receive His promises.

There has been much teaching in the Church that presents God as judgemental, angry, condemning and punishing. This ‘image’ of God breeds fear and a withdrawing from His presence.

Whereas a grace perspective builds an image of a loving, accepting and forgiving God who expresses His love to us through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Jn 3:16. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (NKJV)

The wonderful thing about God’s love is that we don’t have to earn it, neither do we have to prove our love to Him. NO! In the New Covenant, it’s God who earnestly desires to show His love to us. Our role is to simply receive it.

1 Jn 4:10. This is love: it is not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son as the sacrifice that deals with our sins. (CEB)

I Love You This Much!

Not only does He love us, but He has perfected His love in us, and perfect love is unconditional love. God loves us whether we live in victory or defeat. Therefore we can be struggling with problems and have besetting sins, but know that God loves us; and if we know He loves us unconditionally, we can come to Him to receive His love and claim His promises.1 Jn 4:17. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. (NKJV

God’s promises are not given on the basis that we have to earn them by our behaviour. NO! They are given to us because we are in His Son, Jesus Christ. It’s Christ who is accepted by His Father, and because we are in Christ, we are accepted!

1 Jn 4:17. As He is so are we in this world. (NKJV)

Knowing we are loved unconditionally, gives us the confidence and boldness to claim and receive God’s promises.

In our next Blog we will look at how to release His promises into our lives.

Meditation Point: Thank You Lord that you love me unconditionally whether I live in victory or defeat, and I am always accepted by You.